Tank-furnace-heating means



June 25, 1929. R p A RD 1,718,331

TANK FURNACE HEATING MEANS Filed Jan. 29, I927 Jnwntot Robert P (Ia/broQuota,

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT P. CALLARD, 0F CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIBBEY-OWENS SHEET ,GLASS COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPOB ATION OI OHIO.

TANK-FURNACE-HEATING MEANS.

Application filed January 29, 1927. Serial No. 164,459.

The present invention relates to a tank furnace, and more particularlyto an 1mprovement to the heating means therefor.

An important object of the lnyentlon is to provide in a tank furnace,includ ng a checker-chamber and checker-bricks arranged within saidchamber, means for posltlvely 1nsurin that a flow of air passingthroughthe cham er will pass between the checker-bricks arrangedtherein.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tank furnace,including a checkerchamber and a plurality of checker-bricks arrangedtherein, a slab carried by the top of the chamber wall and associatedwith the checkerbricks in a manner that a flow of air passing throughthe chamber will be forced to pass between the checker-bricks and inaround the same.

Still another and important object of the invention is to provide in atank furnace, ncluding a checker-chamber and a plurality ofchecker-bricks adapted for alternate flows of hot and cold air to bepassed therethrough,

" means whereby both the heated and cold air will be caused to passbetween the checkerbricks and not short circuited around a gap formedbetween the top of the checker-bricks and the checker-chamber top formedby reason of the expansion and contraction of the bricks when subjectedto the action of the air flows.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentduring the' course of the following description.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View of a form of tank furnace to whichthe present invention applies, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of thechecker chambers and associated parts, illustrating my invention in use.

The tank furnace illustrated is designed primarily for the production ofmolten glass from which articles can be formed, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is in no way restricted to a glass tankfurnace.

The numeral 5 designates a tank furnace in its entirety. The furnace isadapted to contain a mass of molten glass 6 or other material to beworked upon which may be introduced by means of the doghouse 7. Arrangedon both sides of the furnace, as illustrated, is a plurality ofregenerative heating means 8. As is well known in the art, theregenerative type of furnace is periodically changed from side to side,that is, for one period of the operation the flames will issue from oneside of the furnace and the exhaust gases Will pass through the oppositesides to the stack. To conserve heat, etc., the exhaust gases are passedthrough a checker-work which comprises a plurality of bricks piled up ina suitable manner to form an open brick-work adapted to absorb heat fromthe heated gases. Upon reversal of the operation, the side of thefurnace that has been in operation is cut off and the opposite side isadapted to produce the heating flames. The air that is used with the gasfor the purposes of heating is preheated by passing it through thecheckerbrick arrangement above referred to.

Due to the contraction and expansion of the checker-bricks, they settleand leave a gap between the checker-brick and the top of thechecker-chamber in which the brick is contained, and as the airnaturally follows the path of least resistance, it short circuits aroundthe top of the checker-brick pile so that the incoming cold air does notget the benefit of the heated checker-chamber, which results in a lossof efficiency.

The numeral 9 designates a gas pipe arranged near the port of theregenerator 8. The checker-chamber 10 is provided with the plurality ofchecker-bricks 11 arranged in a criss-cross fashion to provide openingsthrough which a flow of air may be passed. The incoming air isintroduced through a tunnel 12 up through the opening 13 in the bottomof the checker chamber and preferably through the checker-bricks l1, andon into the channel 14. The numeral 15 designates a gap between the topof the checkerbrick pile and the top 16 of the checkerchaniber. As thereis a certain amount of dust and other foreign matter conveyed by theexhaust gases, the checker bricks collect a certain amount of dirt whichadds a slight resistance to the passage of the air therebetween. Whenthe gap 15 has been formed, and in actual practice this gap sometimesamounts to as much as six inches, the incoming air will have a tendency,due to less resistance, to pass around the top of the 16 and depending asufiicient distance into the checker-chamber to prevent a shortcircuiting of the cold air. A recess 18 can be formed in thechecker-brick ile to accommodate the hanging key block 1 It will be seenthat, although the gap 15 is present, the key block 17 will prevent ashort circuiting of the air causing the air to pass between thecheckerbricks, and thus become preheated.

In Fig. 2, the regenerator shown is in operation, the flame 19 beingcreated by a mix-' ture of the air passing in the path indicated by thenumerals and mixing with the gas 9. Upon reversal of the tank, theheated gases from the opposite side of the furnace will pass through thechecker-bricks 11 and through the tunnel to the stack, thus heating thechecker-bricks for the next reversal.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A tank furnace including a checkerchamber having an inlet at thebottom and an outlet at the top thereof arranged in staggered relationto said inlet, a checker construction composed of checker-bricksarranged within said chamber and spaced from the side walls and top wallthereof, and means for preventing the free passage of the incoming airthrough the space above the checker construction and for directing thesaid air between the checker-bricks.

2. A tank furnace including a checkerchamber having an inlet at thebottom and an outlet at the top thereof arranged in staggered relationto said inlet, a checker conthe side walls and top wall thereof, and abafile wall obstructing the space above the checker-bricks to direct theincoming air through the checker construction.

3. A tank furnace including a checkerchamber having an inlet at thebottom and an outlet at the top thereof arranged in staggered relationto said inlet, a c ecker construction composed of checker-bricksarranged within said chamber and spaced from the side walls and top wallthereof, and a key block carried by the top wall of said chamber anddepending downwardly into the checker construction for preventing thepassage of the incoming air through the space above the checkerconstruction and for directirig its course therethrou h.

4. tank furnace inclu ing a checkerchamber having an inlet at the bottomand an outlet at the top thereof arran ed in staggered relation to saidinlet, a c ecker construction composed of checker-bricks arranged withinsaid chamber and spaced from the side walls and top wall thereof, andmeans arranged above the checker construction for obstructing thepassage thereabove to cause the incoming air to pass between thechecker-bricks.

5. A tank furnace including a checkerchamber having an inlet at thebottom and an outlet at the top thereof arranged in staggered relationto said inlet, a checker construction composed of checker-bricksarranged within said chamber and spaced from the side walls and top wallthereof, and a key block carried by the top wall of the checker-chamberand depending downwardly into a recess in the top of said checkerconstruction for preventin passage of the incoming air over the top 0the checker construction and for directing its course between the.checker-bricks.

' Signed at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of WestVirginia, this 25th day of January 1927.

ROBERT P. CALLARD.

